19 March 2024, Tuesday, 13:45
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August Zborovski: “Ukrainians are ready to sacrifice their lives for country, the Russians are not”

August Zborovski: “Ukrainians are ready to sacrifice their lives for country, the Russians are not”

One of the leaders of “Army SOS” claims that the Ukrainians have a stronger moral stand than aggressors.

Volunteering is a new phenomenon in Ukraine’s life. The volunteers provide Ukrainian soldiers with cars, gadgets, bulletproof vests, clothes, helmets, food and water.

At the risk of their own lives they provide the troops and volunteer battalions with everything needed in the antiterrorist operation zone. In fact, they also may be considered as soldiers.

August Zborovski (in the photo on the left), one of the leaders of “Army SOS”, shared the information with charter97.org on the volunteer’s activity in Ukraine.

- August, how did you become to be a volunteer?

- Like many other Maidan activists. At first we were fighting against Yanukovych who turned to be a public enemy. During the war people started to create unions and do charity activity. When the war started we began to provide the frontline with not the arms but defense unions: bulletproofs vests, helmets, clothes, food and so on. As at first the frontline suffered from the lack of drink water. We used to drive our own cars and bought as much bottled water as we could place in our cars. Now thanks to the people’s help we do not have these problems anymore.

- Why did you participate in the Maidan movement?

- Like many others I was working and took position of mid-level manager with conditionally small salary and was simply staring at the TV set. On November 26 I saw students standing in Maidan. I had never been indulged in politics so I had no guesses why they were standing there. I was glad to see that our students had found strength to start a public protest as the authorities used to suppress any demonstrations using violence. Even the smallest hazards were effectively eliminated by authorities.

Then Vladimir Volkov, my comrade from Ukrainian Cossacks, joined the Maidan movement. On December 1I got the information that the people, including a friend of mine, had been beaten. Naturally I felt indignant. Up to that time we used to think that this demonstration was like one in 2004-2005. It seemed that they would use and leave us. But after Vladimir’s beating and arrest I felt shame: will I really stay at home?! I took the streets and it turned out that I was not the only one. There were millions of us in Maidan.

- After the Maidan movement victory it turned out that it’s not the proper time to give up public activity. The war started. You could not have done your job again. Do you feel sorry for it?

- Definitely not. We defeated the enemy; our spirit was as tall as ever. Before it I have not been involved in military activity, have known nothing on this issue and not served in the army. But now as the volunteer I have to learn it. Not that I like it but I have do it.

Why do I not feel sorry? Because we have conquered our fears, realized how strong we may be and realized the fact that we can stand together. Ukrainians used to say: I am not my brother’s keeper. Or used to tell jokes about the Ukrainians and the Jews, e.g. the Jews say “Both you and me have a house, so let’s build another one for our brother”. Then the Ukrainians say “Both of us have been jailed, so let’s jail our brother”. Now it is an inappropriate jest.

I’m glad we have defeated Yanukovych’s dictatorship. Now we face another large-scale threat, but we have already learned how to act. Now we have a stronger moral stand than aggressors and it helps us to take a stand.

Definitely we understand that we have lack of equipment, knowledge and money but nevertheless people are ready to give their lives as a sacrifice for country. Russian side barely feels the same now.

- Yanukovych left Ukrainian army in distress. What role does volunteer movement play in recovery of defense capability?

- I think that the army had started to disintegrate before, but while Yanukovych it reached its climax. The territories, having belonged to the army, were sold, privatized and all equipment was exported.

- In order to help the army we create volunteer battalions and battalions of Ministry of Internal Affairs. Volunteers have started to carry weight including high administration. We provide soldiers and volunteers with everything needed. Speaking frankly, we also have the fifth column. Some people in high administration dream about Russian pensions. I can’t name them as I have no reliable proofs. But some reactions to certain situations on the frontline make us set on the alert.

- What do Ukrainian soldiers miss most?

- First of all they miss provision. It is reported that soldiers are provided with 100% guaranties with warm clothes. That is wrong. I know it for sure as we daily deliver clothes on the frontline.

- How should the army make through the winter?

- I guess they can make it. The volunteers will help.

- How do you coordinate your work, for instance, with Deputy Chiefs for Logistics in the General Staff and internal troops?

- There are three large volunteer organizations: “Wings of Phoenix”, “People’s back land”, “Army SOS”. With their leaders I have had face-to-face talks. Sometimes we meet and help each other.

Everybody knows that Yuriy Biryukov, the founder of “Wings of Phoenix” is a current counselor of the president of Ukraine and he is conferred some powers. Open sources informed that volunteers would be recruited to provide assistance to the army in order not to overpay for the living essentials and to cover as more soldiers as possible. Frankly speaking, I am not aware of how it is going on and who has been recruited but none of my friends have taken part in it. We would like it to be true and there were no “secret commissions”.

We need a state-aid. And we can get it only in case we come together and go on picket as that may cause a threat to civil servant’s status or his approval numbers. Only after it they get on the ball.

- How do you raise funds to support the army?

- We place the ads in the open sources: in the newspapers, on web-sites and social networks.

- Do people provide with any assistance? Does it take a permanent or temporal character?

- It takes a drifting character. As soon as they declare “ceasefire” the provision flow immediately stops. We, volunteers, perfectly understand that this is a stand-still “truce”, the time for regrouping of enemy forces, rotation and fortification in order to deliver much more heavy strike. And the army actions are growing in strength during this time.

At the same time people having watched Ukrainians news think that the ceasefire mends the situation and as a result they stop transferring funds.

For instance, when it has been declared “truce” last time people have come to the volunteers standing on the picket and asked: “Why are you standing here? We hold a truce, don’t we?” And people genuinely believe that at the moment military actions have been broken.

- A lot of volunteers, who provide the frontline with the support, come under fires. Couldn’t they feel scared?

- Definitely it is dangerous. But we have a motto: “We are the supporting area!” We are the supporting area both for the army and people defending us. Why do we go there? We know for sure if we don’t have our soldiers there we will have enemy troops here.

Many volunteers feel like they are already military men. Some people have joined volunteer battalions, some have been called up. Some guys in spite of danger live for months on the frontline. And they get used to it.

First shot, first explosion definitely frightens especially if someone has been injured or even killed. And that is terrific. Some people run mad. It may seem strange but after these moments many of them lose their fears.

- Do you bring the arms with you while driving to antiterrorist operation zone?

- Definitely yes. This is a combat zone. We drive on our own to the zone as volunteers. Those who have gun registration take their arms empty. Everything is according to rules. As soon as we enter the zone we load the weapons.

For me personally event during the Maidan movement were worse than ones on the frontline. Hundreds of people were killed…Perhaps we were not strong enough then.

- So you think that more than one hundred people were killed, don’t you?

- I guess that more than 250-300 people were killed during February 18. On February 19 execution at Institute Str. took place. That time there were my friends and I talked to them. These are horrible stories.

- Perhaps people were too scared and it seemed that the number of people murdered was exceeded.

- I don’t think so. It is my subjective opinion as I have no reliable proofs but everyone knows that our crematorium was working for three days and nights together.

- Did you have more people gone missing during Maidan movement?

- According to official statistics the total number was about 20 people. Many corpses were found in the woods near Kiev, some people were drowned in an ice hole, and some were burned or jailed, it depends.

- Today it seems like the war is far from Kiev. People are tired of commotions and want to live their ordinary life.

Unfortunately it’s true. When volunteers have been in the antiterrorist operation zone for a while and then come back it may make them “go mad” because of what they see here. I can imagine what is going on in frontline soldier’s brain when he observes how some “rich kids” have fun.

Let's imagine, there is no transport for fighters to fulfill any task to defend our country, to protect our nation. And at this time these people drive luxurious cars around Kiev and do not even think how to provide fighters on the front line even with the slightest assistance. Definitely it really hurts every soldier, without any exception.

- Ukraine is famous for its diaspora, especially one in North America. Do Ukrainians from Canada and the USA provide assistance to you?

- The diaspora has rendered assistance to us since the Maidan movement. Our organization is cooperates specifically with Ukrainians from Canada, the USA and Germany. Even people from Greece heavily propagate to provide assistance to Ukrainian soldiers on the frontline. Everyone helps to the extent that one has.

- What do you expect from new authorities?

- We do not expect anything anymore. One should make authorities act. Civil servants are recruited managers. People we put our trust in. Now we all recognize that deputies are servants of the nation.

- What is your forecast of the development of the situation on the frontline?

- The war will continue. How far can enemies go? As far as we can let them to. How long will it take? I don’t know. I hope that in the course of this year we may settle a question. It is likely possible that some American and European sanctions will help.

We are ready to take a stand up to the end. Now the civilians are actively preparing for war. They have some military training and join battalions.

- What would you like to say the Belarusians? You definitely have your own problems. Nevertheless, Belarus is a neighboring country…

- First of all, you should be confident in yourselves. Any opposition may cause casualties but this is the price one should pay to get freedom.

For sure you should come together as house divided against itself cannot stand. The Belarusians should take a stand against their autocratic powers and I guess the Ukrainians may provide assistance.

- What could you say the Russians?

- Almost every person in Ukraine has relatives in Russia and the most terrific thing is that the Russians are gloating over our misfortune. They do not try to put themselves in our shoes and do not see the military aggression. This way or another, we still keep a thought deep in our hearts that the Russians are our brothers and sisters. Traitors but still brothers…

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